Insomnia
by Mystery Hunter
Summary: -for the Halloween Challenge on CCOAC- Jumping into his car Derek nearly sped on the way home, then shut the car door quietly. Unlocking the front door and stepping inside he went to turn off the alarm when a blow to the head sent him staggering against the wall. A hit to the legs had him falling to a knee and he raised his head, searching in the darkness for his assailant.


**AN: Now, I know that this is extremely late, but this was a story written for the Halloween Challenge on CCOAC. We had to take a title of one of Stephen King's novels, then use that as our title and write out own story around it. As is obvious by my title, I chose the title of Insomnia. Enjoy! **

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It was one of those nights that were so dark that you felt as though the sun would never rise. The moon was hidden behind dark clouds while the street lamps tried desperately to keep the pitch at bay. Derek Morgan was inside on that night, thoroughly glad not to be on a case or one of the parents that had been dragged out earlier that evening. Yes, it was the famous All Hallows Eve, and Derek had watched from his living room as children in store-bought costumes traversed up and down the street with their respective adults in tow. He had handed out candy to the dozen or so kids that approached his door, but mostly he just watched the never ending marathon of horror movies that was playing on TV.

Now, Derek didn't often get scared by horror movies since he saw worse in real life and he really could tell himself that everything on the screen was fake, but he still jumped a little when the shrill ring of his cell phone pierced the darkness of his living room.

Grabbing the phone from its position next to the empty popcorn bowl on his coffee table he answered with his typical, "Derek Morgan."

"Hi… I hope I didn't wake you." It was Spencer, but his voice didn't sound right. It sounded… choked.

Derek frowned and sat up. "What's up? Everything ok?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Everything's fine."

"You don't usually call when everything's 'fine'."

Spencer was quiet and Derek stood, angling himself towards the door. "Spencer?"

"I'm here. Sorry. I'm just… I can't sleep."

Derek let out the breath that he had been holding. "You can't sleep."

"Not for the past week. I've been staying up and reading or watching the rare non-horror themed TV program but tonight everything's about horror because of Halloween and-"

"You're scared."

"I'm not scared."

Derek chuckled quietly and shook his head. "It's ok kid. They're all fake."

"Don't do that Derek."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Here, how about you come over and I'll make it up to you."

There was a silence on the other end of the phone that lasted for so long that Derek pulled his cell away from his ear to check if the battery had died. "Spence?"

"I'm here. Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. My apartment's creeping me out and the guys next door are watching something that involves too much screaming for my liking."

"There'll be no screaming here, I promise. Do you want me to come pick you up?"

"No no. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"I'll be here."

The connection was killed and Derek put the phone into his back pocket. Gathering up the empty beer bottles and the popcorn bowl he brought them all to the kitchen before tidying up the place a little bit. He had been home for the past week so discarded clothes and blankets had started to accumulate around the living room after many evenings of late night horror movie marathons. He had just finished tossing the last sweater into the laundry room when he heard a key in the lock.

He stepped out into the main hall as the door opened and Spencer came in, a thick sweater bundled around his torso. Derek couldn't help but smile as he walked over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hello to you too," Spencer replied with a small smile.

"I told you that you should have just come to my place this week," Derek said.

"I wanted to go home. Is there something wrong with that?"

"What's wrong is that your home and my home isn't just our home."

Spencer shook his head a little bit and Derek wrapped his arms around his waist. "Maybe one day," Spencer said.

"One day," Derek corrected, kissing him.

"You're always so sure of yourself," Spencer told him, resting his head on Derek's shoulder.

Derek didn't say anything, he just kissed the top of Spencer's head and guided him further into the house. "You tired kid?"

Spencer shrugged a shoulder and moved out of Derek's arms, looking around. "Where's Clooney?"

"Upstairs. He likes horror movies about as much as you do."

"Maybe we'll go sleep together, leave you to your massacres and possessions."

"Nope." Derek caught a hold of Spencer's belt as he headed towards the stairs. "While you're here, I'm not going to watch any."

"I don't understand how you do it anyway. We see enough gore and horror in our line of work."

"Yes, we do, but in the movies I can tell myself that it's fake, and I can turn the TV off whenever I want. I can walk away. I like the ability to choose."

Spencer nodded and yawned a little. He rubbed his eyes and Derek laughed quietly, holding him close.

"So let me get this straight: you're exhausted but you can't sleep?"

"I get bouts of insomnia every once in a while. Apparently it decided to rear its head during a period of time when I don't have Star Wars or documentaries on TV to pass the time."

"Why don't you just come here when that happens? You always sleep well with me, and I know a few things that could tire you out…" Derek slid his hands down Spencer's back and into the genius' back pockets, flashing him a teasing grin all the while.

Spencer blinked and then his eyes went flat. "I'm not in the mood Derek."

"Come on. Nothing too rough, I promise. It's proven that having sex can help with many illnesses and relieve stress-"

"Insomnia isn't one of them."

"How do you know? Just because it wasn't listed in whatever book you read doesn't mean it doesn't help. And there's a high chance that it might help, considering that it tires you out."

"Are you really challenging me on a fact?"

A broad smile stretched its way across Derek's face. "Yes I am."

Spencer rolled his eyes and sighed. "Derek…"

"Spencer," Derek replied, mimicking the groaning tone to Spencer's voice.

"No," Spencer told him. "I don't want sex. In horror movies if you have sex you die."

"Our life isn't a complete horror movie."

"No, Derek." Spencer pulled Derek's hands out from his pockets and hurried up the stairs before Derek could grab him. Chuckling to himself Derek followed his boyfriend. When he reached the bedroom he found Spencer in the process of pulling the blankets up and around him, curling up on his side as he got comfortable. He kept one eye open as he watched Derek come in.

"If you are going to lie down with me you are not going to do anything or I am leaving."

"You won't leave," Derek said, pulling off his shirt.

"Yes I will."

"No you won't." He pulled off his jeans and cast both pieces of clothing into the laundry basket. Climbing into bed behind his lover he wrapped one arm over Spencer's waist. Realizing that Spencer was only in a pair of boxers made him pause for a moment before pulling him a bit closer. With a sigh Spencer turned over to face him, and Derek kissed him, then his forehead, smiling all the while.

Spencer narrowed his eyes a little. "No. Sex."

"I know, I know. See, my hands aren't near anywhere sexually sensitive." He patted Spencer's back where one of his hands rested, and raised the other which had been rested on top of the duvet. Spencer stared at him for a moment before closing his eyes. "Good," he said.

Derek laughed quietly and pushed some hair out of Spencer's eyes. He knew that his boy genius slept better when he was with him. After several minutes he felt Spencer's breathing even out and he pulled the blanket a little more securely around him. He waited until the flickering of his eyelids stopped before he slid out of bed and repositioned a pillow to take his place. Spencer automatically wrapped one long leg around it as well as both his arms, and for a moment a little green monster flared up in Derek, wondering how a pillow could so easily take his place.

Brushing that aside he pulled his clothes back on and went downstairs. Grabbing his keys he put the alarm on – which he almost never did – for good measure, and locked the door securely behind him as he left. He hoped that Spencer wouldn't wake up before he got back. Getting in his car he drove as quickly as the speed limit allowed him to Spencer's apartment, then took the stairs two at a time to get to his boyfriend's floor. Using the emergency key that Spencer had granted him with a few months ago he let himself into the apartment.

Ignoring the books and papers scattered about the living room that he would usually had tidied into piles he headed straight for Spencer's go-bag on the floor beside the couch and brought it into the bedroom where he packed enough clothes that would probably hold Spencer over for a few days. Glancing around the room he wondered if there was anything else he should grab, then settled for picking up a few random books and National Geographic DVDs from the living room. Sprinting down the stairs back to his car Derek checked his watch – good, he had only been gone about forty-five minutes. Spencer would hopefully still be asleep when he got back.

Jumping back into his car he nearly sped on the way home, then shut the car door quietly when he got out so as not to startle Spencer upstairs if the bedroom window was open. Unlocking the front door and stepping inside he went to turn off the alarm when a blow to the head sent him staggering against the wall. "What the-!"

Apparently his shout came too late because he was hit in the legs and fell to a knee.

"What the- Spencer?"

"D-Derek?" There was a thud and the lights were flicked on. Standing in front of Derek was a disheveled Spencer, his hands shaking and his eyes wide. "Derek? Oh my god. Derek what on Earth-"

Slowly Derek got to his feet and turned the alarm off, which was just about to start blaring. Spencer must have noticed his bag that sat beside the still open door because he didn't say anything. Turning to him Derek flashed him a kind smile. "Just went to go grab some of your stuff, Pretty Boy. I thought that if you stayed at my place for a bit you'd be able to get some sleep." Looking to the floor he noticed one of his hardcover novels lying on the floor. Chuckling quietly to himself he kissed Spencer's forehead before closing the door.

"I thought you were someone trying to break in," Spencer told him.

"Someone trying to break in with a key?"

"I-I don't know. I mean, I know you have a spare outside somewhere and I thought-"

"Shh." Derek kissed him and cut him short. "Baby boy, that's why I put the alarm on, because I knew you'd be paranoid." He wrapped his arms around Spencer's waist. "I've got you kid. No one's going to hurt you while I'm around."

"But you weren't around. You were out."

Derek rolled his eyes and kissed him. Spencer kissed him back and rested his hands on his chest. Pulling away he rested his head on Derek's shoulder.

"So what do you say about staying?" Derek asked.

"I think that since I nearly beat you up with a book when you came home from getting necessities for me to stay over I make it worth your while."

"You didn't nearly beat me up."

"I could have."

Derek laughed a little at that and Spencer hit his chest. "So you're staying," Derek said.

"Yes."

"Good." He kissed tilted his head up and kissed him again, still time a little longer and a little harder than before. "Now, how about we go upstairs and try to get rid of this insomnia of yours."

Spencer smiled and let Derek lead him backwards up the stairs, their lips connected, all the while thinking that he'd be sleeping well that tonight.


End file.
